Improvement in tobacco-cutters



NTTED STATES PATENT EEICEa WRIGHT SMITH, OF FORESTVILLE, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN TOBACCOCUTTERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No.159,714, dated February9, 1875; application tiled June 8, 1874.

To all lwhom it may concern Be it known that I, WRIGHT SMITH, M. D., ofForestville, in the county of Madison, Indiana, (formerly of BeechGrove, Indiana,) have invented an Improved Tobacco-Cutter, to which Ihave applied the name Smiths Xact, and of which the following is aspecication: This invention relates' to that class of cutters which areused by tobacconists for dividing plug-tobacco into pieces of such sizesas may best suit the retail trade.

The present invention consists in a peculiar' gage-scale ormeasuring-rule applied to the base of the cutter at right angles to acentral knife, and reading outward from the latter toward both its ends,so as to measure and indicate to the eye the length to Which a plug orpart of a plug lmay extend on each side of the knife. This provides fordividing and subdividing a plug into any desired number of equal pieceswithout Waste, and with the utmost ease and rapidity.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is an elevation of this improvedtobacco-cutter. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same.

This tobacco-cutter is composed of a base, A, a pivoted knife-holder, B,carrying a knif'e, k, and a lever-handle, C, which is connected bysegmental gears or racks to the free or moving end of the knife-holder,so as to provide for reciprocating the latter with the requisite force.

The gearing is not exposed in the drawing, being concealed by thestandards which support the pivots of the handle, and guide the free endof the knife-holder.

The knife 7c may be attached to the holder B in any approved manner.Beneath its cutting-edge a strip, Z, of lead is inserted in the uppersurface of the base to constitute the cutting-abutment. To limit themotion of the knife, so as to prevent cutting this lead in two, orWearing the same, or dulling the knife With unnecessary rapidity, avertical set-screw, s, is tapped into the handle C, so as to engage Withthe back of the knife-holder. This constitutes an adjustable stop, andby turning the screw either Way the contact of the knife with the leadmay be regulated with facility.

To provide for dividing and subdividing plugs of tobacco into pieces ofequal size and value, the base A is extended laterally, and provided onits upper side with a measuring scale or rule, r, at right angles to theknife, and extending therefrom equally on both sides. This scale or ruleis by preference divided into inches and parts of inches in the ordinaryWay; but it is so numbered as to read outward from the knife on eitherside, the line of the knife being zero, (0.) By this means, when a plugor part of a plug is placed beneath the knife, its center may bedetermined with the utmost ease, and it may thus be divided andsubdivided into any number of equal parts.

The effect of this provision will be a great saving in tobacco, as Wellas in the time occupied in cutting plugs into pieces.

In the illustration the scale or rule r is formed or marked on the. topof a vertical ange or rib, which serves as a guide or gage to facilitateplacing the plugs squarely beneath the knife, and is cast with the base.

The lateral extension of the base incident to the employment of thescale or rule adapts the improved cutter to stand steadily, and thescale rib or liange serves to strengthen or stiften the extended base.

I am aware that measuring scales and gages have been shown and describedas applied to tobacco-cutters previous to my invention, but only asarranged to measure or indicate the length of a piece cut from a plug,and not to adapt the cutter to divide and subdivide a plug into piecesof equal size, in the manner herein set forth.

The following is claimed as new in this invention, namely:

The graduated scale or ineasuringrule r, arranged at right angles to theknife 7c, and reading outward therefrom on both sides, to provide fordividing and subdividing a plug of tobacco into equal pieces, in themanner herein set forth.

WRIGHT SMITH.

Witnesses:

STEPHEN METGALE, E, B. GHANNEss.

